


Introducing: Desire

by fangirlandiknowit



Category: Naruto
Genre: Itachi is a meddlesome brother, M/M, SasuNaru - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2018-02-05 19:01:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1828852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlandiknowit/pseuds/fangirlandiknowit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A love more instant than Naruto's ramen! Forced by his brother to attend a speed dating event, Sasuke picks up the last person he expected...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally a tumblr request from what-iwish-you-knew, and I figured I'll post it here as well bc why the hell not. The request was SasuNaru and "Hey, have you seen the...? Oh."

“Ah, there you are, little brother. I was looking for you.”

Sasuke looked up from his computer screen, giving Itachi an unimpressed glare. Where else would he be but his room?

“Alright then, let’s see what we’ve got here. Why don’t you turn that off, it’s not like you have time for it anyway.”

If Sasuke had been vaguely annoyed before, he was now entirely fed up with his brother’s behavior, and not for the first time that day.

“Whatever you think you’re doing,” he started, trying to burn holes through Itachi’s back as he turned to dig through Sasuke’s closet, “you’d better stop before I kick you out, ass first.”

Itachi simply sent an innocent smile over his shoulder before returning focus to the clothes he pulled out, only to throw on the bed in a careless heap.

“Those are ironed, folded, _and_ color coded you fucker,” Sasuke complained, finding the strength to get up in order to remove the pest invading his private area.

Itachi held up his hands, making a face like oh-I-had-no- _idea_.

“I just thought I’d help pick an outfit for you. I can’t send you off to speed dating looking like _that_.” He motioned to Sasuke’s baggy sweats and t-shirt with faded printing.

Sasuke was appalled.

“You think I’d actually wear these clothes when- screw that, what the hell are you talking about?! I’m not going anywhere farther away than the kitchen tonight.”

Itachi clicked his tongue in disapproval, pulling out another carefully ironed shirt and throwing it on top of the pile he’d created on the bed.

“I already paid for it and this is the attitude you give me? I’ll have you know I’ve got a list of twenty-three girls who would just _die_ to get your number, and yes they’re all insufferable gold diggers.”

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke ripped a pair of dress pants out of Itachi’s dirty hands.

“Oh Sasuke, you’ll never find a girlfriend with that attitude.”

“I don’t need one,” Sasuke spat, trying in vain to push Itachi out of his room.

“I’m not saying you need to find one tonight, I’m just saying you need to go out there and practice socializing a bit. It’s not like you’ve got a disorder or anything. I mean, you’re an Uchiha, there’s not supposed to be something you’re incredibly bad at.”

If only the punishment for murder wasn’t so severe…

“On the other hand, if you plan on becoming a crazy cat lady I know a good place to find those cats.”

“On the other hand, maybe jail for life isn’t so terrible,” Sasuke mumbled to himself, giving up on pushing Itachi. “Do you mind?” he said instead, frustrated after weeks of Itachi meddling in his life. “If I wanted to meet someone I’d go out and do it.”

Itachi thought for a while, finger tapping against his lips and eyes running up and down Sasuke’s body with a doubtful look.

“No,” he finally answered, “I’m certain you need a push. Come on, take a chance for once, be a little crazy. You might just end up having fun.”

Sasuke heaved a sigh, turning his eyes to the ceiling and thinking that maybe, if he counted to ten really slowly, Itachi would disappear from sight.

“Fine. Say I go to this dating thing, will you get off my back?”

“Depends, are you going to bring anyone home with you?”

Sasuke frowned, feeling suspicious now.

“I thought you weren’t going to come back until tomorrow night.”

Itachi smiled, and somewhere a few puppies probably died.

“True, but I’m expecting a story when I come back. Oh, and Sasuke?” He leaned forwards, and only stubborn determination made Sasuke stop himself from moving away. “I’ll know if you lie.”

When Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, Itachi flicked his forehead and turned around to walk towards the door.

“In fact, I’m leaving now, but I’ll also know if you don’t show up. I’ll text you the details, now go make me proud.”

With a wave over his shoulder Itachi closed the door behind himself, shuffling around for a few moments in the hallway before exiting through the front door. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Sasuke sent a few choice words after him, wincing when his phone beeped with the arrival of the promised text.

Why couldn’t his brother just leave him _alone_?

xxx

“Oh shit, sorry man!”

Sasuke flicked an annoyed glare towards the person who had just bumped into him in the narrow entrance hallway. The perpetrator chuckled nervously, one hand rubbing his tan neck leading up to blond, spiky hair.

“Really, sorry about that, I’m just a little nervous I guess…”

Sasuke scoffed internally, half-wishing he could care enough to be nervous as well. What was he even doing here?

“Umm, can I ask you? Have you been here before? Are we supposed to just go inside and grab a seat? Or is there like, some kind of seating?”

Interrupted in his scoffing and general cursing of his incredibly asshole-ish older brother, Sasuke glanced at blue eyes blinking rapidly at him. The other guy was drying his palms against dark jeans, a grimace forming on his face when Sasuke took his time to answer, and the only thing he received in the end was a shrug.

“Okay, cool, no problem, let’s just follow the others and hope someone knows what they’re doing…”

Sasuke really wondered at what point during the minute they’d known each other this guy decided that Sasuke was probably a good person to mimic. He trudged inside, feeling more and more distraught by the second, surrounded by giggling girls and stupid guys, and then that blond following after him and constantly bumping into him whenever he was forced to stop. There appeared to be a line, and oh how Sasuke hated standing in line.

“Wow, there sure is a lot of people here, huh? I thought it wouldn’t be that popular. But my friend said this place has a good reputation, he actually met his girlfriend here so I guess it can’t be impossible.”

Sasuke almost felt sorry for the guy.

“You know, I don’t think the girls will be very impressed by you clinging to my coat,” he remarked when they were forced to stop again, the corridor seemingly endless.

He really should have gotten here earlier. Or stayed home. Yeah that was a good idea.

“Bastard! I’m _so_ not clinging to you!”

Sasuke had to turn around at that and give the blond an eyebrow raised in amusement. Being that loud was sure to leave an impression, but still not a good one.

“Ugh what the hell,” the guy grumbled, sending him dirty looks in-between trying to see if anyone had heard his little outburst and if they were hot or not. “I thought you were a good guy.”

Shrugging again, Sasuke received his name tag and got checked off on the list, pissed to see that next to his name was scribbled ‘call this number if not present’. Fucking Itachi.

“Hello! I’m Uzumaki Naruto! Where are we supposed to sit?”

For someone so nervous, the blond sure sounded cheerful now as he greeted the girl giving them their tags.

“Guys on the left and girls on the right,” she droned, handing him his tag and turning to the next person in line.

“Not much luck, huh?” Sasuke couldn’t help but comment, smirking when Naruto spluttered as his cheeks turned red.

“I wasn’t even trying! You’ll see, you think you’re so cool with your handsome face and snarky attitude, but I’m totally going to be more successful than you!”

Sasuke spared a few seconds to give Naruto a look of disbelief, even if on the inside, he didn’t doubt his chances at all. A lamp would probably have a better chance of getting lucky tonight compared to Sasuke.

“Alright, don’t get your panties in a twist.”

Somehow, watching Naruto’s mouth open and close in anger made his night that much better. While the other was busy trying to remember how words were formed, Sasuke sat down at the nearest table, one seat down from the end. Without even seeming to think about it, Naruto sat down next to him, blue eyes sparkling with challenge.

“I’ll show you” he hissed, quietly since the guy apparently in charge had started talking, explaining the rules and time limits to them.

At least it was the girls’ turn to switch chairs tonight, and Sasuke sank down a little more comfortably in his. No point being irritated _and_ uncomfortable. By the time they had all made sure their name tags were secured and visible, and they’d been told what was going to happen two more times, Naruto seemed to have curbed his anger and flashed a grin towards the girl in front of him. Sasuke barely spared his conversation partner a glance before they were forced to start talking, sure he’d forget her name halfway through the next conversation.

Sasuke knew he could be a boring conversation partner. It was a skill and he had mastered it, to make sure people wouldn’t stick to him at social events. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to have been born unable to shut up. Maybe he was still nervous, but after a while it was almost hilarious how he kept talking and the poor girls, who had been forced to almost physically draw words out of Sasuke, barely got one in against Naruto.

“Smooth” he murmured during one of the pauses as the girls changed chairs, pleased to see Naruto stiffen but less pleased when a foot connected painfully with his shin.

“At least I make the effort” was shot back at him during the next break, and Sasuke suddenly felt the urge to be competitive.

“Hello” he said to the girl sitting down in front of him, leaning his chin in a palm and quirking his lips just enough to produce what could be mistaken for a charming smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yuka.”

He could _feel_ Naruto seething next to him, which wasn’t so strange considering the girl who had just sat down in front of him had her attention stuck on Sasuke as well, sending murderous glares at Yuka.

“I hate you” Naruto whispered, causing Sasuke to feel a tiny bit guilty, especially when the following three girls all seemed to have noticed him putting on the charm for that one girl, and wouldn’t care about either Naruto or the guy to his left.

“Alright, time to mingle” the overly charming moderator told them, sweeping his hands out towards the sides where drink tables had been set up.

Ignoring the girl he’d been currently talking to, Sasuke sunk lower in his chair and wondered if he was allowed to go home now. Checking his phone and finding another message from his lovely brother, he decided that suffering through another hour or so wasn’t so bad.

“Here you go. Asshole.”

Looking up in surprise he found Naruto all but slamming a glass of wine in front of him on the table, slumping down next to him and taking a big gulp from his own glass.

“I can’t believe you. Suddenly you pull that crap, making the girls go gaga, and then you don’t even try to talk to anyone of them now. Why the fuck are you even here? Did Kiba send you to make me miserable?”

“I don’t know who Kiba is, but maybe he knows my brother and they decided to make us both miserable.”

Narrowing his eyes Naruto leaned closer, searching his face for clues.

“Nope, still don’t get it. Did you have a terrible break-up and now your brother is forcing you to date again or something?”

Sasuke sighed, swirling the red liquid in his glass but refraining from drinking it. It was probably some cheap shit anyway.

“Try again” he said, snorting when Naruto let out an annoyed sound.

“Are you such a bastard your brother thinks this place, full of desperate people, is the only way you’ll ever get any?”

“You just called yourself desperate, you know” Sasuke calmly pointed out, surprised when Naruto didn’t react with anger and instead grimaced.

“I can’t talk to girls, it’s a well known fact. Even I know it. I came here to practice. I mean, I can talk to them but only in a friend way. I suck at flirting with them, it’s like I’m dumb or something.”

Naruto looked so depressed over this fact that Sasuke took pity on him.

“You hardly seem dumb. In fact, if those girls had any intelligence, they’d be plotting ways to get to talk to _you_ rather than me right now. None of them will get my number anyway.”

Naruto didn’t look like he believed him.

“Yeah, whatever, maybe I should just go to a bar, get drunk, and give up on girls entirely.”

“That sounds a little drastic.”

“Yeah, wanna join me? Unless your brother’s got some threat that keeps you here.”

“He does have a threat, I guess, but I think I can live without one ear of it means I get to escape this place.”

Naruto’s mouth formed into a slow grin, and Sasuke wondered why he didn’t just do that towards the girls instead of talking.

xxx

“Ah man” Naruto sighed as he sat down next to Sasuke, a little closer than personal space usually dictated due to the sound level of the bar. “I swear my hands are still shaking. And no girls even pretended to be interested, my friends are going to laugh at me.”

“You really have a problem flirting with girls” Sasuke commented, thinking that Naruto had seemed perfectly calm ordering from the female bartender.

“Well, yeah. I think my middle school crush traumatized me, I was an idiot refusing to give up and she kept turning me down using violence.”

“Sounds like great memories.”

“Yup. So what about you, Mr. My-brother-forced-me?”

Sasuke took a sip of his beer, thinking that for a bar he’d pointed at randomly, it wasn’t too shabby.

“There’s nothing particularly interesting. I just don’t see the point of dating, and my brother keeps worrying about it. He says he’s doing me a favor, but I think it’s payback for not answering my phone last week when he wanted me to come pick him up in the rain.”

“Ouch.”

Naruto was leaning his elbow on the table, turned towards Sasuke as much as possible in the cramped area. They weren’t the only ones on the bench, and he frowned when the person on his other side accidentally hit his arm.

“I’d tell you to move closer but you’d have to sit on my lap” Sasuke said, smirking when Naruto’s cheeks turned a faint pink.

“I’m good” he mumbled, drinking from his glass and avoiding Sasuke’s eyes.

Usually, Sasuke wasn’t one to care about reading other’s body language, but he had a sneaking suspicion about Naruto and found himself curious to find out if it was correct.

“Shame” he mused, smirking when Naruto let out a tiny cough into his glass.

He wondered what Itachi would say if he knew he’d ditched the dating to mess with a guy, a guy who may or may not be interested in him.

“I’m pretty heavy you know.” Naruto chuckled, playing with the glass and turning it in circles on the table.

“Are you telling me I look weak?”

Naruto looked at him, then lowered his gaze to trail down Sasuke’s torso, quickly returning to eye level when he lingered just a second too long.

“I wouldn’t say that, no.”

“Wise choice.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, but his lips were still twisted upwards.

“Maybe if you get me drunk I’ll tell you what I really think.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, finding the way Naruto licked his lower lip before biting it strangely entertaining.

“Alright then,” he said, placing his glass on the table and standing up, “I’ll go get us a few more of these beers.”

Naruto’s answering grin reached epic proportions.

xxx

“I think you really broke those girls’ hearts” Naruto thought out loud after a couple of hours of drinking and talking. “If I die in a freak accident I’ll know who cursed me at least.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, poking the back of Naruto’s head. He had his arm draped over the back of the bench, and coincidentally around Naruto’s shoulders as well.

“You wouldn’t be the first to die” he replied, shrugging like it was no big deal.

“Bastard. I bet you like picking up guys just to see how long it takes for them to die.” Naruto tried to sound accusing, but his large grin wouldn’t fade from his face. “Can’t say it’s a bad way to go.”

“Who asked out who, if I may ask” Sasuke pointed out, finishing his fourth beer and feeling pleasantly light-headed.  

He seldom drank this much, but at least he was still in control of himself. Even if his mouth got a little loose compared to usual.

“Well, you may ask, and I guess it was me” Naruto said, laughing a bit at himself. “But you could have just pointed at any of the girls in there and they’d go home with you. I mean, if you wanted to get laid.”

“And if I still wanted to?”

Naruto got a little wild around the eyes, clearing his throat and gulping down some of his beer before answering.

“Then I bet you could still point at anyone in here.”

Sasuke leaned back, an easy-going smirk on his face. Well. Wasn’t this nice.

“I get the feeling you’re the kind of guy who enjoys getting pointed at” he said, satisfied when Naruto choked on his drink and sent him an embarrassed glare. “I mean, that could be the reason you’re so bad with girls.”

“There are girls who like to be in charge” Naruto objected, wiping off some liquid from the table with a napkin. “I just haven’t met any, if you must know.”

It was a horrible thing to think, but Sasuke might have to thank Itachi later. He was actually having fun. He just wasn’t sure yet _how much_ fun he wanted to have.

“Besides that middle school crush.”

“Besides her, yeah. And since I’m scarred for life, I think I’ll just follow my plan of giving up on girls.”

“Hn.”

The lights turned on in the bar, and they both blinked in surprise. Was it really that late?

“Are they closing?” Naruto asked, and Sasuke nodded after checking his watch.

“I think this one closes at one.”

“Wow, did we just sit here for almost four hours?”

“Yeah. Maybe we should get going.”

Naruto nodded slowly, finishing his beer and thinking for a second.

“I think I’ll just head to the restroom first.”

“Alright.”

Sasuke followed Naruto with his gaze as he swerved past a few people on his way, contemplating his options. On one hand, he hated one night stands with a passion. On the other hand, Naruto didn’t seem like he would cause much trouble. Well, there was also the issue with whether he could be with a guy at all, but it didn’t really matter. Hadn’t Itachi said something about going a little crazy?

When Naruto returned he was greeted with a pleasant smile, as if the blond had almost thought he’d leave instead of wait. Maybe he really was that used to getting rejected. They headed towards the subway in silence, and Sasuke caught Naruto sending him a glance now and then. It almost felt a little surreal. This was the last thing he’d expected as he dragged himself to the dating event, and definitely not how he’d thought he’d spend the night when he woke up that morning. Now that the chilly night air sobered him up a little, he wondered if this was such a good idea. He preferred planning his actions in advance, acting reserved rather than opening up, the total opposite of Naruto. He was fairly certain he knew Naruto’s entire life story by now.

Around them, couples and other party people going home early were making noise, joking with each other or kissing against a wall. He had always wondered how people were able to act like that in public. Didn’t they feel embarrassed in the morning? Sasuke didn’t even like holding hands while on dates, but when some drunk girl careened into Naruto he grabbed his waist to keep him steady, and to his surprise left his arm there. It didn’t even feel weird.

He was forced to let go when they reached the entrance to the station, a nervous coil forming in his stomach when Naruto told him his train was the one arriving in just a minute.

“Hey umm, thanks for keeping me company” Naruto said as they stood on his side of the platform, hands in his pockets as he peeked up at Sasuke.

“Hn. More like you saved me from having an awful night.”

“Yeah…”

They fell silent, tension filling the air instead and Naruto squirmed a little. Sasuke wasn’t sure what to do. How do you even ask for a guy’s number? Not that he wanted only a number.

Just as the realization struck him, Naruto’s train arrived, the sound almost ominous in Sasuke’s ears. He could tell Naruto was a little dejected, as he chewed on his lips and made a half move to walk towards one of the doors.

“So…”

Sasuke’s hand shot out on its own accord, fingers wrapping around the edge of a pocket in Naruto’s orange sports jacket and pulling him closer again.

“It’s still early” he said, blinded by the happy, almost shy smile that spread over Naruto’s tan face.

“I thought you wanted to go home.”

“Well…” Sasuke cleared his throat, watching people exit and enter the train. “I never said I wanted to go home separately.”

Naruto blushed at that, stepping in a little closer, and something in Sasuke’s chest clenched. He felt Naruto’s knuckles brush over his, and he hesitantly intertwined their fingers. When he met blue eyes there was something in them that made his throat tighten, and the fingers previously gripping Naruto’s pocket moved to hold his hip instead. They were close enough that their breaths mingled, and if Naruto tilted his head up just a little more, Sasuke would barely have to move in order to kiss him.

“I’m guessing your place, then?” Naruto murmured, tightening his hold on Sasuke’s fingers and gaze falling to his mouth.

Sasuke’s lips tingled when they met Naruto’s, neither sure who moved first. The touch was hesitant, eyes searching until Sasuke increased the pressure, Naruto leaning into it. When Naruto’s free arm wound around Sasuke’s neck he tilted his head, opening his mouth a little. The way his heart sped up and his breath shortened wasn’t what he was used to at all when kissing. He felt Naruto’s body against his own, warm and eager, and what was that about not being physical in public? He couldn’t remember.

“Definitely my place” he breathed out when they separated, but not far enough for him to miss the feeling of Naruto’s smile.

“Great.”

 _Great indeed_ Sasuke thought, stomach doing nervous flip-flops as he led Naruto by the hand to the other side of the platform. It seemed to him as if tomorrow, he was going to have to forsake his dignity and pay Itachi back.

xxx

Sasuke wasn’t sure at what point he gave in to his newfound desires, but by the time Naruto was taking off his shirt he knew there was no turning back. He caressed smooth, tan skin with curious fingers, watching abs clench deliciously as Naruto lay down again on the bed. He allowed Naruto to unbutton his own shirt, shrugging it off and meeting lips as they crashed against his, Naruto having pulled him down by cupping his cheeks. There was something about the way Naruto moved against him, hips lazily rolling upwards when Sasuke’s hand traced down his side. It caught him off-guard, forcing him to swallow against his constricting throat.

Naruto’s eager hands all over his back, Naruto’s voice humming low when Sasuke kissed his jaw, toned chest heaving with shaky breaths against him… He felt dizzy, feverish as he fumbled to open their pants, drowning in blue eyes in the semi-darkness. Where had his cool gone, his level-headed search for pleasure points, his usual sense of detachment as he pleasured his partner?

All that was left was a hungry need to touch, to taste, to feel more of Naruto’s body and hear his moaned versions of Sasuke’s name.

“Oh god, _yes_ ” Naruto groaned when they were finally rid of clothing, bodies in a tangle and mouths biting and licking more than kissing.

Just once wouldn’t be enough. He wanted Naruto gasping his name over and over, face contorted in pleasure as it became too much, too good. They were sweating, rolling around in a frenzy, and Sasuke wanted _more_.

At one point he licked the inside of Naruto’s knee, fingers working according to Naruto’s instructions, and oh god had he mentioned the way Naruto _said his name_? He vaguely registered his own mouth producing sounds, for the first time understanding what _lost in pleasure_ really means. Together they reached high after high, and Sasuke groaned as Naruto slumped against his chest by the time they thought they were too exhausted to continue.

“What the hell did you do to me?” he panted, Naruto grinning at him from above, leaning on his forearms on either side of Sasuke’s head.

“Hey, I’m the one who’s going to be sore tomorrow.”

Naruto’s laughter was breathless, excitement slowly giving way to fatigue as he caught Sasuke’s lower lip between his teeth.

“I don’t know, I think I’ve got scratch marks all over” Sasuke teased, snorting when Naruto wiggled his entire body on top of him.

“You earned them” Naruto said, kissing him again but letting out a small noise of objection when Sasuke grabbed his waist and rolled them over. “Can’t breathe” he added, pinching Sasuke in the side.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but eased up on the pressure, turning his attention to Naruto’s throat. It was already littered with marks, but he thought it wouldn’t hurt to add a few.

“Bastard, I have to go out in public tomorrow” Naruto complained, but ran his fingers affectionately through dark hair and made no move to push him away.

“We’ll see about that” Sasuke mumbled, feeling giddy when Naruto’s cheeks heated up and he hid his face in Sasuke’s hair.

The high from his orgasm still hadn’t faded, and Sasuke started to suspect it wouldn’t for quite some time. All Naruto had to do was drag his nails down his shoulder blades and place an open-mouthed kiss against his skin and Sasuke was ready to go. Naruto’s legs clasped over the back of his thighs, tongue eagerly licking his, and there really was nothing to do but bring them both to the brink of completion and fall helplessly over it again.

He wished morning would never come.

xxx

Feeling consciousness return, Sasuke cursed mentally. His eyes were still too tired to open, meaning it had to be early, and for some reason his left arm was impossible to move when he wanted to rub sleep out of them. He frowned, trying to figure out why he’d woken up, something that wasn’t unusual at night considering he was a very light sleeper. Faint sounds could be heard further inside the apartment, and he figured Itachi was up eating breakfast.

…wasn’t Itachi supposed to come back in the evening?

Footsteps approached the hallway and a second later his door opened.

“Hey, have you seen the…? _Oh._ ”

Sasuke frowned, furiously blinking against the morning light as he forced his eyes open. His brother leaned against a doorpost, smirk wide on his face. That couldn’t be good.

“Wha-?” he mumbled, mouth too dry to properly form words.

At least his right arm was functioning, and he rubbed his face and tried to sit up. Frown deepening, he glanced down at his left side, where Naruto was busy sleeping, hence the reason his arm was caught.

 _Oh_.

“I knew taking a detour to look for my phone charger was a good idea” Itachi said, sounding childishly excited.

“Get the fuck out” Sasuke growled, glaring at him and pulling the covers a little higher over Naruto’s naked body.

“I see you turned the speed dating into a guy on guy thing” Itachi continued, and Sasuke let his head fall back against his pillow, a groan slipping past his lips. “You could have told me, you know. All that time spent searching for suitable girls, you could have saved mom and dad a lot of time and effort.”

“And you could still get the fuck out” he replied, angrily peeking at Itachi through his lashes.

The light was kinda painful.

“Well, that depends.”

Oh god, give him strength. Nothing good ever came out of Itachi saying that.

“Are you bringing him for dinner this weekend? You bringing a date to a family event would be pretty historical.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to shoot down the awful idea, only to close it when his brain started functioning again. It was true he’d never brought anyone over for dinner, and it was equally true his parents were very disappointed in their 26-year-old son’s inability to do so. He’d never been bothered by it before, and there was no reason for him to be now either.

On the other hand, Naruto was pressed up against his side, snoring softly. Naruto, who loved orange and refused to get rid of his Pokémon keychain. Naruto, who’d lost his parents as a child and grew up with his perverted godfather, earning money by editing porn novels in high school. Naruto, who almost failed to graduate, and now worked with gardening architecture and loved his job to bits. Naruto, who laughed almost as much as he talked but was a surprisingly good listener.

Naruto, who made him come so hard he thought he saw stars.

“Maybe I am” he answered instead, pleased at Itachi’s surprised look.

“Which of them, bringing him or gay?”

And there went his patience again.

“Fuck off, I’m trying to sleep.”

Itachi chuckled, winking when Naruto moved in his sleep and held Sasuke a little tighter.

“Alright, I’ll leave you and your boyfriend alone. I’ll call you later.”

“Is that a promise or a threat?” Sasuke muttered, ignoring Itachi’s innocent look as he left.

Whatever thankful thoughts he’d had towards his brother last night they were all gone now, just like any chances of keeping his status as straight. Turning on his side to face Naruto he sighed through his nose, caressing the faint marks on a tan cheek. It’s not like he cared about that, anyway.

Naruto stirred in his sleep, and Sasuke placed his arm over his shoulders, hugging him close just to test out the feeling. It wasn’t bad.

In fact, Sasuke didn’t feel bad at all, and he wondered how Naruto would react if he woke him up to suggest some early morning sex.

Well, only one way to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah I had to write a second little part... no smut though, sorry about that. It's more of an explanatory/epilogue chapter, I guess. Hope you like it! And a big thanks to everyone reading, commenting, giving kudos etc., makes me very happy!

“Gaara, I’ve got a problem.”

Gaara followed Naruto with his eyes as he paced back and forth inside his bedroom, wondering if one day he’d get invited simply to hang out.

“Yes, you told me, but I’m sure you’ll tell me again,” he calmly said, a small frown showing concern for his friend.

“I can’t believe it! The plan was to bump into a girl, and then she moves and I bumped into Sasuke!”

“I thought you really like Sasuke.”

Naruto paused mid-step, face turning to stare at Gaara.

“That’s beside the point! I was so embarrassed!” Hiding his face behind his arms, Naruto groaned loudly. “How the hell did that even happen? I keep thinking it’s just a dream.”

“But it wasn’t.”

“And _now_ ,” Naruto’s face returned from hiding, “I’m going to have dinner with his family! We haven’t even been on a second date! What am I supposed to _do_?!”

Gaara sighed, elbows leaning on his knees and hands clasped in front of him as he tilted his head in thought.

“Either you go or you don’t. Considering you have,” he checked his watch, “about one hour before you need to leave, I suggest you go with the first option.”

Naruto’s legs folded and he slumped to the floor, another dramatic groan leaving his mouth.

“And I don’t even have anything to wear,” he added, ignoring Gaara’s comment.

“What about your dark blue cardigan?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s what I wore to the speed dating. That’s what I wear to _anything_ that isn’t outside in summer.”

Gaara got up, walking over to the messy pile Naruto called a wardrobe and tried to find something that wasn’t too casual. It was difficult.

“What did you wear underneath?”

“Just a white t-shirt,” Naruto said, waving his hand towards the half-full hamper, as if Gaara would actually dig it up from there.

“Take this black one and you’re good,” Gaara decided, hoping Naruto’s new boyfriend might be able to convince him to at least buy a decent dress shirt.

Naruto reluctantly accepted it, a pained look on his face as he started changing. He rarely worried about his clothes, thinking that he wouldn’t want to date anyone who thought his way of dressing was an issue anyway. Meeting parents was the exception to this rule, and while he had been in this situation before, it certainly hadn’t been three days after a one night stand with the sexiest guy he’d ever seen. Honestly he was still a little in shock. Sure, he’d thought they had some nice chemistry going, but nothing could have prepared him for waking up to Sasuke sucking on his neck and in the next breath asking if he wanted to come for dinner.

It had taken him a while to decide whether he should scream yes or simply scream.

The worst part was that after that morning, though he had to admit it was definitely a morning well spent, the only contact they’d had was through a couple of texts as to where and when Naruto should arrive.

“Look, the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t get along with his parents, and that has already happened to you and you’re still alive.”

“And single,” Naruto pointed out, giving Gaara a look. “But fine, it’s not like I’ve got anything to lose. He’s hot and great in bed and yeah…”

Gaara sighed when Naruto grimaced, then walked over to pat his shoulder.

“Well, I have to go, so good luck.”

Naruto’s pout followed him as he left the room, but he wasn’t too worried. If anything, Naruto was good at cheering himself up after a failed date.

xxx

Somehow, Naruto was stuck in the kitchen with Sasuke’s older brother. He wasn’t entirely sure how he ended up there, but Itachi must have grabbed him and dragged him off somewhere in his nervous daze as he tried to act nice and mature and charming at the same time in front of Sasuke’s parents. At least they both seemed like sweet people, even if Fugaku appeared a little intimidating. Itachi, however, was a different story. He was humming softly as he moved about, seemingly ignoring Naruto who’d sat down by the table.

At least Sasuke had kissed him when he met him at the bus stop, awkward at first but nice all in all. He was honestly a little confused as to what their status was. Were they dating? Did Sasuke ask him to dinner because he didn’t want to bother with people who couldn’t get along with his family? Or was it some other obscure reason that Naruto had absolutely no way of guessing?

“So, Naruto,” Itachi said, and Naruto swore his heart tried to escape out of his mouth. “I’m very happy you agreed to join us for dinner.”

“Umm, sure,” Naruto answered, blinking slowly when Itachi gave him a friendly smile over his shoulder before returning back to cutting up a salad.

“Sasuke would probably kill me if he knew what I’m about to tell you, so don’t tell him okay? I’m surprised he left us alone at all.”

Swallowing, Naruto produced a noise he hoped was affirmative.

“You see, the reason I forced him to attend the speed dating is because of something he confessed to me when we got drunk a couple of months ago. I’m fairly sure he can’t even remember telling me.”

Naruto figured that listening quietly was his best option here.

“I know he acts like he doesn’t care, and he probably told you something like how he’s not interested in dating. The thing is just that he’s lonely, and he’s convinced that being in a relationship is impossible for him.”

Itachi turned around, leaning against the counter and observing Naruto with a contemplative look.

“You must have really made an impression on him. Well, maybe he just needed to be with a guy instead. You see, he can be a little awkward and rude sometimes, but he’s not a bad guy. So, I don’t want to scare you, but I really need to know what your intentions are. Maybe I’m overprotective, but I’ve been working hard to make him admit his feelings to himself, and I’d rather not have you ruin it.”

Naruto was stunned. Of all the things he expected Itachi to tell him it sure wasn’t this. Well okay, maybe asking about his intentions wasn’t too farfetched, but still.

“I… I mean, I’ve only met him once but I really enjoyed that. Umm, I went there because I’ve only been with guys before and I wanted to try it out with a girl, but it’s not like that really matters to me. He seems great so…”

Oh god, he was blushing wasn’t he? He tried not to squirm, but he really didn’t know what to do or say. Sure, Sasuke seemed like a person he’d love to date, but even if he was a good judge of character it’s not like he knew enough to confidently say he could be in a relationship with him.

“I see. I don’t want to put too much pressure on you, I just want to make sure you’re not messing with him. There was a point when he got almost anti-social, and I don’t want to see that happen again. That’s one of the reasons I asked him to stay with me for a while. He needs a little push sometimes or he’ll get too tense.”

“Oh. Umm, that’s fine. I mean I don’t mess with people, I know what it feels like.”

Itachi nodded, smiling again, and Naruto was finally able to relax a bit. He’d gotten the feeling once or twice that Sasuke was feeling a little lost. Not insecure, but… More like he encountered something unfamiliar and wasn’t sure how to act. Like when they’d entered his apartment and Naruto was the one who had to take the initiative for something intimate to happen.

“Thanks for telling me.”

“Hn, well, I just didn’t want your first thought to be that there’s something wrong with you if he acts difficult. It’s difficult to become his friend and it will most likely be difficult to become his boyfriend. But if he likes you he’ll go along with your ideas, and if he doesn’t, he’ll let you know.”

How reassuring. On the other hand, Naruto had always liked a challenge, and it’s not like many other exciting things had been happening in his life lately.

xxx

“Thanks for driving me,” Naruto said, turning in his seat to look at Sasuke.

“It’s fine,” Sasuke replied, and Naruto took a second to appreciate his neat appearance.

Sasuke was probably the neatest guy he’d ever tried dating, from the carefully styled hair to the ironed dress shirt. It made the memory of him sporting bed-head in sweats that much sweeter. Though, Sasuke’s whole family seemed the same, classy outwards and casual at home. He had to admit it was the nicest dinner with parents he’d ever been to.

“Do you want to, umm, stay a bit?”

Dark lashes blinked at him in slight surprise, then realization must have struck because Naruto could have sworn there was an almost blush on pale cheeks.

“Oh, sure.”

Laughing a little, Naruto pointed out where he could park, feeling a bit flustered as he guided him into his apartment complex and up the two flights of stairs, elevator broken as always. He still hadn’t come to grips with what they were supposed to be, even if Fugaku and Mikoto had seemed as if they were accepting him into their little family with open arms. Maybe Sasuke really was that bad at dating.

He showed Sasuke around his small home, finishing with the bedroom, unable in his nervous state to keep from joking about this being where the magic happened. Instead of taking it as the awful joke it was, Sasuke calmly assessed him before stepping in close, fingers brushing Naruto’s.

“I doubt you brought me here only to brag,” Sasuke teased, Naruto’s heart skipping a beat as heat bloomed inside him.

“No,” he admitted, wetting his lips and blushing when dark eyes followed the action. “I was thinking…”

“Yeah?” Sasuke was now so close that his breath washed over Naruto’s mouth, and he felt like he could drown in his heated gaze.

“Well,” he started, clearing his throat a little awkwardly, trying not to give in yet and kiss the other man. “I was kinda hoping we could just clear up where we’re going with this.”

“With the sex?” Sasuke was frowning, and Naruto felt nervous laughter bubble up his throat at the blunt question.

“No, well that too, but it’s just that…” Oh god, why must this be so hard? But he’d promised himself he wouldn’t make the same mistake of assuming too much, of investing himself when the other person was only fooling around. “I mean, I know this is just the second time we meet, but I want to you to understand that I’m not looking for a fling. I want to find something real.”

Staring into Sasuke’s eyes, he tried to sound more confident than he felt. He didn’t want to think that Sasuke brought him to meet his parents if he was just after sex, but if Itachi was as concerned as he claimed to be, it wasn’t impossible that he was behind the whole thing.

“I see,” Sasuke murmured, but didn’t increase the distance between them like Naruto had feared. There was a flicker of emotion crossing his features, settling for what looked to be reluctant determination. “I don’t want to admit that I’m probably not the best person for that, considering my record, but…”

Naruto bit his lip, feeling his pulse speed up. It was probably too soon to talk about this, of course it was, they barely knew each other. But it’s not like they had to agree to get married or anything, he just wanted their _intentions_ to match.

“We don’t need to make any final decisions or be in a relationship right now, I just want to know that you’re not just, well, using me for the sex. Or because you just found out you might like guys, too.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the last part, but Naruto had felt he needed to bring it all out in the open. He was tired of miscommunication, tired of wondering if he was being lied to, and if he was going to do this with a guy after all then he wanted them to be on the same wave length.

“Naruto.” Sasuke’s voice sounded serious, his hands reaching up to cradle Naruto’s face. “I’ll have you know I’ve never asked anyone to come over for dinner before. Maybe I just figured out I’m into guys, but it’s not like I need to experiment for that.”

His thumbs brushed his cheeks now, and it was difficult to push down the hope that wanted to surge through Naruto’s body. He might have thought at first that Sasuke was a jerk, but annoyance had slowly morphed into pleasant surprise, to finally settle for the thought that wow, this guy could be _it_.

“I’ve never been in a relationship and I’m most likely lousy at it, so I’ll count on you to correct my mistakes.”

Sasuke looked a little annoyed, and if Naruto guessed correctly, the other man wasn’t used to admitting weaknesses, especially not to someone he’d just met. But when Naruto released an explosive breath before pressing his lips to Sasuke’s thin, soft ones, he relaxed and kissed him back. It was a slow one, and Naruto pressed himself closer to Sasuke’s warm chest, arms sneaking around his waist. Breathless, he allowed Sasuke to guide him towards the bed, making a small, pleased noise when talented hands combed through his hair. It almost felt too good to be true. A small voice in the back of his head told him it probably was, too, and no matter what Sasuke said he shouldn’t read too much into it, but he quickly crushed it before it grew too loud.

You won’t know until you try, after all, and Naruto felt like he wanted to try again, consequences be damned.

xxx

A year later, Naruto could safely say that they’d tried, alright. Or rather, tried each other’s patience until they were both on the verge of going insane. Even so, they were still together, still loving as passionately as they fought. But the fights had grown fewer, with longer intervals, and Naruto was arrogant enough to think it was because Sasuke had _finally_ gotten it into his thick head that they were a couple, and while Naruto was all for being individuals together, Sasuke had had some trouble with the whole “together” thing. Naruto had almost been ready to give up a few times, because their view on reality was just so _different_.

Whenever people asked what he meant, he would bring up the incident when he’d been on vacation for a week, and Sasuke re-painted his living room. _His_ living room, in _his_ apartment. He’d been ready to rip his hair out when he came back and found it colored a cozy beige. _Beige_. He hadn’t been mad so much over the fact that Sasuke had done it, as he was over the choice of color. Sasuke, of course, had only thought he did Naruto a favor, plus he’d apparently missed him a lot and frustrated, had taken it out on Naruto’s poor walls. Not that he admitted that until four months later, though, by which point Naruto was starting to wonder how Sasuke had grown up so emotionally stunted when his mother was so lovely.

But things were getting better, and if Naruto hadn’t had Itachi as his confidante and general receiver of complaints they might have never reached the point of considering moving in together. As Itachi jokingly put it, Sasuke was learning to open up, and Naruto was learning to listen before yelling. They were probably good for each other, then.

At the moment, they were strolling through the city centre, hand in hand, not looking for anything in particular but rather enjoying the brightly shining sun. One good point Sasuke had that while he often blatantly ignored Naruto’s opinion without even realizing it, he also ignored people in general. Naruto was pretty sure that if anyone ever tried to give them weird looks for being together, Sasuke wouldn’t even notice.

“Isn’t that store Itachi mentioned around here?” he asked, looking around them.

Sasuke hummed in agreement, squeezing his hand a little and nodding towards an intersection. It was a regular weekend, nothing special planned, and after this they’d probably go home, throw together a quick dinner, and maybe fall asleep in front of the TV. He really appreciated these calm days, because they gave him hope that when they both matured a little more, this was what the future would be filled with. Happy, domestic life. It felt to him as if their struggles had brought them closer, and he knew now that even if he got angry over something, and ran out slamming the door, he was always welcome back.

When Sasuke suddenly stopped after they’d crossed the road, he was brought out of his musings. They stood in front of a travel agency, posters filled with paradise islands and exciting cities covering the large window.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Japan,” he said, eyes tracing the posted in the upper left corner depicting Tokyo.

“Mm, it would be cool. But it’s expensive, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure we can save up for it,” Sasuke replied confidently, and Naruto couldn’t help himself.

Whenever Sasuke said things about the future, including Naruto as a constant, unchanging part of it, it felt like falling in love all over again. It made him think that choosing Sasuke had always been the right thing to do, no matter how infuriating he could be. When Sasuke glanced at him, a questioning eyebrow raised, his face split in a huge grin. Throwing his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, he kissed him noisily on the mouth.

“I love you, you know that, right?”

“Hn,” was all Sasuke said, looking rather pleased with himself as he pulled Naruto close.

If Naruto had been able to read Sasuke’s mind, he would have been able to hear his reply.

_I love you too, more than anything._


End file.
